…Sea ports to be shut
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has directed its members to comply with the directive of the two labour centres to begin an indefinite nationwide strike on Monday.
NUPENG’s General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, in an issued statement yesterday, said the union was committed to ensuring total compliance with the directive.
Recall that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) declared an indefinite nationwide strike to begin on Monday, to express their grievances over the proposed new minimum wage..
In a joint issued statement signed by NLC President, Joe Ajaero and TUC President, Festus Osifo, the centres declared the strike over the tripartite committee’s inability to agree on a new minimum wage and the hike in electricity tariff.
Afolabi said the union was concerned and disturbed with the insensitive attitude of the federal government “to the very critical issue of negotiating a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers”.
Also, the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) said it was mobilising its members to embark on the strike following the directive of NLC and TUC.
The Acting. General Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, who gave the directive to the members in an issued statement, said that along with the reasons of inconclusive negotiations on the minimum wage and electricity tariff hike, apartheid categorisation of Nigeria electricity consumers into bands was another, to embark on the strike. “The withdrawal of services becomes effective on Sunday 2nd June by 12.00 midnight, “ the union leader said.
Similarly, the nation’s seaports will be shut from Monday as the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, (MWUN), said it will comply with the NLC, TUC directive to join the planned indefinite strike action.
MWUN spokesman, Kennedy Ikemefuna, in a statement yesterday, said that the indefinite nationwide strike exercise will affect port operations.
According to him, “… the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria has directed its members in all ports nationwide, jetties, terminals, oil and gas platforms to ensure total compliance to the strike exercise as directed by the NLC and TUC”.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has pleaded with the labour unions to reconsider its decision to embark on the indefinite strike.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed, while describing the NLC and TUC as partners in Project Nigeria, noted that industrial action was not the solution to the on-going negotiation for a new minimum wage for workers.
